Rebuilding Trust (in yourself) After a Job Loss

Losing your job can be devastating to one’s psyche and esteem. Thinking about the next career path can be confusing and bring up a host of fears and insecurities and lead to job search procrastination. “Who will hire me?” or “What job am I fit for?” are questions I often hear when I coach clients. It seems that the loss of a job leads to the loss of one’s identity which can deflate – or almost paralyze -the job search strategies that need to be done to get hired again.

In order to get “back in the game”, it is important to rebuild trust in yourself and in your abilities so you can get hired again. According to Bridges (2003) and Nakaska (2010), it is important for a person to rebuild their own trust in their abilities and in developing their own career plans “as they themselves, rather than any single job, will be the one constant in their careers.” It is important to keep in your mindset all of your skills and abilities that you have to offer to potential employees; this means having them written down and placed where you can see them on a daily basis. Keeping your professional development in mind will be the key to your weathering these changes and resulting stress that change brings. Paying more attention to what is occurring in your industry and in the world of work will help you bring more knowledge and skills to an employer and can position you as a top candidate for hire. Taking charge of your career will help to increase and enhance your skills and knowledge, give you a clearer direction for where you want your career to go and enable you to make better choices. These activities will also help to rebuild your internal trust so you feel more confident and less fearful to seek out the positions you desire. Not only will you rebuild trust in yourself but you will be managing your career as opposed to allowing an employer to do so.